shayne, thanks for the post and the link. i checked out the boardlady website and i gotta tell ya: those modified nose protectors are quite an eyesore. what was said on the site about solid fiberglass nose protectors makes sense, though. i'm really glad you posted that, but it leaves me at a crossroads...

i used to sail a lot as a kid, so last year when i took up the sport again, i had a lot of the (very) basics down. but getting into the straps and learning to jibe had tossed me over the nose a good bit last year.

equipment is 'used' as soon as it gets wet, and i dont expect to keep everything in perfect condition especially at this stage of the game. there are good arguements either way i look at it ( nose guard or deviator ) and after reading the link i feel more conflicted than before.

i know this might seem like small beans to more advanced sailors, but i'm a nursing school student and although i expect to buy new equipment when i graduate in two years, i dont really have a lot of funds... all the extra cheddar i've had has gone into this equipment and like i said, i'm going hard this year. i've had a taste of windsurfing and right about now, i'm starving.

25th February 2010 11:08 PM

Shayne

Hi Eric,
Someone earlier in the thread mentioned using a solid fiberglass nose protector, and I remembered reading some interesting comments on the www.boardlady.com website regarding solid vs. soft foam protectors [ check under 'Miscellany' ]. I think you should have a look before gluing a solid protector on your board.
Uncontrollable, violent catapults are fun aren't they, they mostly go away after a while though. I bet they will be a thing of the past after your up coming solid year of windsurfing.
Good Luck.
Shayne

25th February 2010 03:06 PM

Unregistered

Nose protection

Hi,
this might sound like a joke but it is not. When you are about to get thrown like in a "catapult" just hold tight to the boom with your back hand holding the boom closer to your body. This should throw you slightly sideways and away from the board nose. Sure you still might damage the board but the probability is lower. Don't be afraid, just hold tight to the boom and "enjoy the flight/crash". :-)

25th February 2010 09:22 AM

eric b 125

roger, thanks for the response dude. i definately appreciate your experience and opinion, and what you've said to me has got me giving the deviator a second thought. i'm having a tough time wrapping my head around it's effect on other equipment (board and mast). i got launched REAL hard a few times last year and i dont see how my stuff could have survived the impact from the deviator. honest to goodness, if it wasnt for these concerns, there would be no question in my mind over what i would prefer b/w the deviator or a nose guard.

25th February 2010 02:18 AM

Unregistered

Broken nose

I have never experienced a mast breaking because of the deviator.
The reason is because you have a mast base extension which goes into the mast and because of this gives the base of the mast extra protection. But most of the time it will not even come close to the base of your mast and only get in brief touch with your extension.

If you have any other questions just let me know.

Roger

21st February 2010 01:14 AM

eric b 125

unregistered: like i said earlier in the thread, i sail with a few dudes that use the deviator. these cats have way more experience than i do, and arent nearly as prone to getting launched as i am. i plan on going pretty hard this year, to learn to jibe and get into the straps more confidently. since i have no experience with the deviator, and little experience on a sailboard, would you mind explaining to me the effect your product has on masts? i would take a nose ding over a broken mast.

20th February 2010 01:58 AM

Unregistered

As the inventor of the deviator and having used them extensively for the past 15+ years in many centers around the world including Vela on Aruba and my own shop, Bonaire Windsurf Place on Bonaire, I can assure you that it is a almost a mythe that your mastbase box gets ripped out while using a Deviator. Afterall we only have seen this occur in just a few boards over the span of all these years and this was because the box was inserted while the fibrecloth around the box was insufficiently impregnated by the epoxy resin.
If I may suggest the best combination we have found in all these years being in the rental business full time (and not just seasonal) is to buy a fibreglass nose cone and to use a deviator. I gaurantee you that this combo is bomb proof !
If you want more info and tips you can visit my website at www.thedeviator.com
There is no other product out on the market which protects the structure of your board like the deviator, end of story !

16th February 2010 07:55 PM

Mike T

Post'er #8
I took a look at the T-bone Nose protector @ the local WS Shop and they velcro to the boom head and then there are two plastic c-clips built into the mast padding that snaps too the mast below the booms. I dont think it will have any affect on sail rotation because of the way it snaps onto the mast so get one and see how it works still cheaper than having a nose job done on the board. Hope this helps. Warm wind! Mike

9th February 2010 07:34 AM

Mike T

Eric B
Yes the NSI foam nose guards are good they have a dual density foam so it takes a good hit and distributes the impact loads. The boom pad will help also but most of the boards are so short these days that the boom might not cause the most damage. It might be the mast. I would rig a sail connect board and then rotate board around mast and boom head and see what hits the nose and then base your decision on what part of the rig hits the nose of the board. The T boom protectors I think c-clip to the mast so i don't think it would interfere with sail rotation. I'll have to take a closer look the next time I run up to the local shop. Good luck. Michael

9th February 2010 02:12 AM

Unregistered

And what about those boom T protectors ?
They have protection for the head of the boom + a little piece of the mast.
Are they any good ?
I was thinking of buying one, but then I suddenly realized that the small mast protection could actually obstruct the sail rotation.
Anyone with experience ?

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